Events and Operations Manager

Big Car Collaborative; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off 15 days

9 national holidays recognized by Big 

Health coverage

Phone stipend

Performance reviews with raises/bonuse

Job summary

Big Car Collaborative | Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis (CAMi) is seeking an Events and Operations Manager to lead venue rentals, support visiting artists, tenant studios, and storefront tenants, and help coordinate cultural events across the CAMi campus.

You will manage day-to-day operations, collaborate with artists, renters, vendors, and partners, and help ensure a welcoming, well-run, and financially sustainable cultural campus.

Qualifications

• Excellent customer service skills.
• Highly organized and able to manage multiple projects.
• Exceptional communication and relationship-building with artists, renters, tenants, vendors, and partners.
• Self-motivated and able to work both independently and with teams.
• Detail-oriented with the ability to see the big picture.
• Calm under pressure and able to solve problems in real time.
• Comfortable learning new systems and improving processes.
• Commitment to creativity, hospitality, and community.

Responsibilities

• Respond to rental inquiries, lead tours, and provide rental information.
• Negotiate contracts with rental clients, caterers, and production companies.
• Coordinate catering, A/V, seating, signage, and vendors.
• Oversee event-day setup, flow, and teardown for events and programs.
• Ensure accessibility and compliance requirements are met.
• Keep schedules running on time and manage emergencies or last-minute changes.
• Serve as liaison for CAMi's artist studios and retail storefront tenants.
• Build and monitor event budgets and track expenses and invoices.
• Align events with grant, donor, and sponsor requirements as applicable.
• Collaborate with staff and internal teams for event support.
• Manage volunteer and staff assignments on event days.
• Attend networking events to promote spaces and rental opportunities.
• Coordinate with communications on promotion and branding.
• Manage registration systems and ticketing for internal events.

Job description

Events and Operations Manager

Big Car Collaborative | Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis (CAMi)
Full-time, salaried, with benefits Garfield Park, Indianapolis

About the Role

Big Car Collaborative is seeking an Events and Operations Manager to serve as the primary point of contact and manager for venue rentals at the Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis (CAMi), as well as for visiting artists, studio artists and storefront tenants who rent space on the CAMi campus, and other overnight guests. The Events and Operations Manager will also support internal and partnership-based cultural events at CAMi.

This role helps coordinate the day-to-day operational needs of the expanded CAMi campus. We are looking for an organized, detail-oriented, people-focused individual who will help ensure that CAMi is a welcoming, well-run, and financially sustainable cultural campus.

The Events and Operations Manager will work closely with staff, artists, renters, vendors, volunteers, and community partners to create positive experiences for everyone who uses CAMi's spaces. The position also strengthens Big Car's revenue-generating efforts by coordinating rentals, supporting mission-aligned events, maintaining strong tenant relationships, and developing systems that help the organization operate smoothly and efficiently.

Responsibilities

On-Site Event Management and Logistics

• Respond to rental inquiries, lead tours, and provide rental information.
• Negotiate contracts with rental clients, caterers, and production companies.
• Coordinate catering, A/V, seating, signage, and vendors.
• Oversee event-day setup, flow, and teardown for events and programs.
• Ensure accessibility and compliance requirements are met.
• Keep schedules running on time.
• Handle emergencies and last-minute changes.
• Ensure vendors for Big Car programs and events deliver on time and within budget.
• Serve as the primary point of contact and liaison for CAMi's 18 artist studios and five retail storefront tenants.

Contract and Budget Management

• Build and monitor event budgets.
• Track expenses and invoices.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Ensure alignment with grant restrictions and donor or sponsor requirements, as applicable.

Internal Coordination

• Collaborate with staff and internal teams when event support is needed.
• Manage volunteer and staff assignments on event days.

Marketing and Attendee Experience

• Attend networking events to promote available spaces and rental opportunities.
• Coordinate with the communications team on promotion and branding.
• Coordinate registration systems and ticketing platforms for internal events.
• Ensure branding consistency at events.
• Support promotional timelines and outreach logistics for Big Car–sponsored events.

Ideal Qualifications

The ideal candidate:

• Is comfortable with a flexible schedule that includes evenings and weekends.
• Enjoys working with people and providing excellent customer service.
• Is highly organized and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Is an excellent communicator who builds positive relationships with artists, renters, tenants, vendors, and community partners.
• Is self-motivated and able to work independently while collaborating closely with others.
• Pays close attention to detail while keeping the big picture in mind.
• Is calm under pressure and able to solve problems in real time.
• Is comfortable learning new systems and improving existing processes.
• Shares Big Car's commitment to creativity, hospitality, and community.

Salary and Benefits

This is a full-time, salaried position with benefits.

• Paid time off: 15 days of PTO, plus the nine national holidays recognized by Big Car Collaborative.
• Health coverage: 100% employer-funded high-deductible insurance covering medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, and life. Staff who elect coverage may open a Health Savings Account (HSA). Staff who decline employer-provided health insurance receive a monthly stipend toward coverage instead.
• Phone stipend: $50/month to support the use of personal mobile phones for work.
• Reviews: Performance reviews are conducted annually, with the possibility of raises or bonuses.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, use hands, reach with hands and arms, climb stairs, balance, and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The role is based on CAMi's 5-acre campus in the Garfield Park neighborhood and spans galleries, studios, and administrative spaces.